Yoga Yogi: Viparita Karani

By Robert Barton

Originally published in DRUM! Magazine's August 2009 Issue

The gig is over, but the night’s work isn’t. You still have to tear
down your kit and schlep it back home. Hopefully you don’t have too many
flights of stairs to negotiate, but it’s the dreaded post-gig schlep
either way (if only we all had roadies!). Hauling equipment in and out,
night after night, can take its toll on a back already tired from hours
of hard play.

One of the simplest yoga postures to release and relax a tired lower
back is viparita karani (“legs up the wall”), a beginner’s inverted
posture. Yogis have been using inverted postures for centuries, not only
for the physical benefits, but also as a way to change how they perceive
and interact with the world around them.

From a drummer’s perspective, practicing inversions might open up new
ways to approach rhythms and even foster innovative music ideas. On a
physical level, this posture brings relief to tired, overworked legs
using gravity to help drain excess fluid from the legs and allowing the
lower back to rest completely supported by the floor. This pose lowers
blood pressure by stimulating baro-receptors in the neck. It also lowers
the heart rate and slows the brain waves. Anxiety, depression,
insomnia, and migraine sufferers also benefit from this practice.

Execution of the posture is simple:

Sit down with the right shoulder and hip next to the wall, legs straight out.

Roll to the floor on your left side.

Roll to your back and swing your legs up the wall.

You can do this posture with the buttocks and back of the legs in
contact with the wall, which is suitable if your hamstrings are somewhat
flexible. If that is not the case, you can practice with the buttocks
away from the wall, and you can even bend the knees slightly as well. In
both variations, keep the spine perpendicular to the wall. This posture
can be held for five or ten minutes with slow, deep belly breathing.

As always, check with your physician to determine if this exercise is
suitable for you.